Tag: #EA

So, Battlefield One was released not too long ago and has received excellent reviews across the board. Not just for its amazing multiplayer which truly is amazing but a lot of praise has been given to its single player as well. Having now played though its entirety twice here are some thoughts and feelings on why the campaign isn’t all that great.

Unlike most single player campaigns Battlefield One tells a series of smaller unconnected story’s from around the globe, from the trenches of France to the Mountains of Italy. This both works for and against it. First, some positives, on one hand this allows the player to see the war from multiple viewpoints with characters from different walks of life, from a traditional tribeswoman fighting a guerrilla war against the ottoman empire to a chauffeur turned tank driver taking on the might of German defences. This of course also means that gameplay is very varied from vehicle focussed missions to all out-infantry combat to sneaky open ended stealth affairs. There are five war stories to play though (six including a short prologue) each with multiple missions to play though. There are some great moments to be had here particularly on the tank and aeroplane missions, featuring some truly awesome battles and cinematic moments and with the more interesting and personal stories to boot.

Of course, the actual production values of the game are nothing short of amazing. With some truly amazing facial animations and for the most part some authentic, believable and great voice acting. The graphics and sound design are overall truly incredible from the thundering sound of shell being fired to the echo of a sniper round, the game also features an appropriately themed and rousing soundtrack used to great effect in both epic and quieter moments.

However, while there are great moments to be had there are plenty of downsides to the campaign. Most notably its length is a major issue. The player only gets to experience one set of characters for a short time, notably not nearly enough time to grow attached or care for the characters, and not all the war stories are equal with two of them being pretty spectacular and the other three somewhat average both story and gameplay wise. Often there are stealth sections that are often tedious and boring, partly due to the very by the books and uninspired stealth gameplay. At other times the player will often feel like an action hero, single handily taking on ridiculous situations, you could argue there’s nothing wrong with that but it certainly doesn’t sit well with the WW1 setting, particularly when enemies will often stand out in the open to be shot at. At other times the campaign will often feel like a missed opportunity, there is certainly limitless potential in the War Stories format which players can only dream of. At other times one can only wish that they decided to flesh out a few select stories rather than having multiple or even focused on having a fully-fledged traditional campaign.

Overall the campaign is by no means bad, what’s on offer here certainly adds value to the overall package with collectables and challenges for those wanting to squeeze out all the content the campaign has to offer. Unfortunately, the length, the often tedious and boring gameplay and the overall direction of the narrative holds this back on what could have been something truly special. Let’s hope that in the future we will see more single player games set during WW1.

So, Battlefield 1 was recently released amongst a plethora of other big multiplayer titles. And with a modest 63 Hours playtime within the past week it would be safe to say that Battlefield 1 is clearly doing something right. The kind of game that swallows you up and completely immerses the player into a blissful state and doesn’t let them emerge until hours later.

Unlike most modern shooters with their future or near future settings Battlefield One decided to take itself back to the dawn of all-out war with a WW1 setting. This concept clearly caught the attention of many players when first announced but it is perhaps this decision which has made Battlefield One such a success. Not only does the game stand out from other titles but truly invigorates and revitalises a series which has been very so so with its Battlefield 4 and Battlefield Hardline outings. One thing to quickly realise when first booting up the game is that this is a Battlefield game before it’s a WW1 game, but it’s the way in which those aspects combine that makes Battlefield 1 something truly special.

There are only a few modes to choose from but each mode offers something different, depending on what kind of player you are. From small scale team deathmatch modes to massive all-out war in conquest, there is little variety true but each game type is so flawlessly executed and well done that you could easily spend hours playing just one. Easily the most exciting addition to the franchise is operations, a 40 or 64 player mode of attack and defend which combines the best elements of conquest and rush together. It’s here that everything Battlefield 1 offers can be found, from dynamic weather changes, destructible environments, massive maps, interesting and exciting vehicles, weapons, gadgets and so on. Apart from a few minor bugs the gameplay is truly exceptional in every aspect of its diverse gameplay, whether you be blasting players up close with a shotgun in team deathmatch or dropping bombs on them from a massive airship in conquest.

There is plenty for the player to dig into besides simply enjoying the gameplay although some of these aspects do weaken the overall experience. Each of the 4 main classes for example can be ranked up and each earn new weapons and gadgets between ranks 1 and 3, there is however a massive drought of progression until rank 10 and even then, it only offers a few more weapons to unlock. Battlepacks offer the player a random chance at earning different rarities of weapon skins and this system works great and is very satisfying apart from the fact that the battlepacks are earnt randomly at the end of each match. For the truly invested there are several different medals and dog tags that can be earnt for various feats and of course simply playing to earn a higher rank. The most exciting addition to the progression of the game however is the codex, various challenges and tasks will unlock new entries in the codex so that players can learn more about the weapons, vehicles, tactics and so on of WW1. What could have easily been some half effort inclusion to add more content to the game, is instead an extensive codex bristling with interesting, relevant and well written information. A surprisingly great addition to the game and a great jumping off point for those wanting to learn more about WW1. As one would expect from a Battlefield game the graphics and sound design are as always brilliant and put other titles to shame.

So, Battlefield 1’s multiplayer is something truly exceptional a one more go mentality that starts at 11pm and ends at 2am, its addicting, it’s fun, its everything you could want from a multiplayer game and then some. Plus, it’s only going to get better, with some of the issues raised being directly addressed in future updates, with new modes and a map coming soon and as one would expect a massive amount of content coming in its steeply priced season pass. See you on the Battlefield.